NEWCASTLE have made a £4.2 million bid for Portuguese forward Yannick Djalo, according to his agent.

But both United and Tottenham, who are claimed to have lodged a similar offer, will need to put more cash on the table to persuade Sporting Lisbon to part with one of their brightest stars.

Djalo is attracting serious English interest after it became clear that cash-strapped Sporting were willing to cash in on the 24-year-old.

And his agent, Lionel Silva, has declared that Newcastle and Spurs are the first Premier League clubs to have shown their hand.

But Sporting are said to have rebuffed both English bidders as they hold out for £6 million-plus.

”The two clubs (Newcastle and Spurs) are interested,” said Silva. “But we have not reached an understanding with regard to price. We have to wait a little longer.

“He (Djalo) fancies the idea of going to England, because playing in the English Premier League is a dream for most players.

“But while there is not total agreement on a deal, Yannick has to report to work (at Sporting) every day.”

Born in the former Portuguese colony Guinea-Bissau, Djalo is a product of Sporting’s youth system and a former Portugal Under-21 international as happy playing on the wing as through the middle. If United do press home an interest in him, it remains to be seen whether their reputed bid for another striker, Paris Saint-Germain’s Melvut Erding, comes to anything.

Meanwhile, Italian sources say Newcastle are also keeping tabs on Roma front man Stefano Okaka. The 20-year-old spent the back end of last season at Fulham, scoring twice in 10 appearances, and is thought to be available for around £2 million.

Celtic are also on the trail of Okaka, as they are another player to have caught the eye of United boss Chris Hughton – Nottingham Forest centre-half Kelvin Wilson.

Meanwhile, Newcastle and Sunderland may miss out to Liverpool if they pursue free agent Paul Scharner.

The versatile Austrian international is on Tyne-Wear radars, but his agent has made clear that Liverpool, whose new boss Roy Hodgson repeatedly tried to sign him for Liverpool, is Scharner’s dream move.

United are also among a host of Premier League clubs set to be made aware of the availability of French teenage starlet Nassim Boukhelifa.

The 19-year-old fired Lens to the French youth league title but has turned down the club’s repeated offers of a senior contract in the hope of securing a move to England, where his free agent status will hold real appeal.